I managed to persuade two of my illustrious adventuring partners to join me in an exploration of the far reaches of the North Island.
'Captain' Ian Steven and Rowan 'Stanley' Forbes joined myself, 'Livingstone', on an exceptionally challenging expedition funded by a Lotteries Commission grant for Geriatric Gaiety.
The local paparazzi ambushed us and took the above shot immediately after our final planning conference in Auckland.
Heading out of sight of the white man and away from civilisation we came upon a wonderful kauri museum in Matakohe.This magnificent kauri meeting table, weighing more than a tonne, used to grace the boardroom of Dominion Breweries.
Talking of things kauri, they don't get much bigger than the 2000-year-old 'Tane Mahuta' in the Waipoua Forest.
Any adventure on the Aupouri Peninsula takes travellers past the northern-most tavern in the land.
Here the lads stopped for vital refreshment.
It was a great surprise to find a set of white man's arrows inside the tavern instead of taiaha.
So we availed ourselves of them over a coldie, or three, and declared The Captain the sharpest shooter at 301.
Tracking in the Far North in the middle of winter is fraught with all sorts of weather-related dangers.
We were lucky to make it to Te Rerenga o Nga Wairua (Cape Reinga) in fine conditions.
A short side trip to the Parengarenga Harbour rewarded us with a view of the world's purest silica sands at Paua.
The intrepid adventurers stopped for sustenance of fish and chips at Mangonui.
Kemp House was on our itinerary, just to check everything was in order.
More great food, this time in Russell, with a piping hot seafood chowder served in a cob loaf at the renown Duke of Marlborough.
Relaxation was mandatory each evening in the Bus With No Name after a sapping day's exploration.
A special site revisited, previously discovered by Stanley & Livingstone, was the Whangarei Falls.
'Stanley' insists on travelling in the style of his nineteenth century namesake and brings to each expedition a full-sized sea-going cabin trunk and personal bedding.
A great deal of hilarity, and a hearty thankyou to all you Lotto ticket purchasers.
Good luck to all your families.
